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If you want to know a verifiable way to get more auditions, grab your notebook for Part Two of my interview with Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services. I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access… and there were just too many juicy takeaways for one episode. In this episode, we dive deeper into how to create and maintain those strong relationships with casting directors – especially now that those relationships are 90% online. HERE ARE THE TOP 3 INSIDER TAKEAWAYS We all know that "booking the room" is more important than booking the job, but B&B tell us exactly how to use this power to turn into repeat success Why you must tell YOUR story while also serving the story of the script – When you don't do this you leave auditions on the table and stay firmly planted in the callback-only zone Yes, technology has changed the way the industry works, but your job stays the same, so don't fall into the trap of distractions Brian Wold has over three decades of experience in public relations, marketing and business communications. Blair Hickey has been a working actor for almost 30 years (The Big Bang Theory, NCIS: LA, Heroes). Combining their skills and expertise, Blair and Brian created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide for professional actors. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where both continue to work as consultants. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character! If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave an honest review. Your review helps boost the show and gives us the chance to help more creatives get out of suffering for their art and into action. Be sure to leave your IG handle when you do so I can send a VIP episode to say thank you. CONNECT WITH BRIAN & BLAIR Website https://castingabout.com Subscribe To The Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490 Watch The Uncut Behind-The-Scenes Videos Of The Podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca Want More Auditions? www.YourAuditionMagnet.com Follow Me On Instagram For A First-look At Our Guests And Upcoming Episodes! https://www.instagram.com/briansaysthat Episode Transcript: https://brianbreakscharacter.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Ep.84+-+Transcript.pdf
I'm gonna guess you have an Actors Access/Breakdown Express profile so Casting Directors can find you. And even though the site has *some* free functionality, I'm also gonna guess that you plunk down $68/year (plus any other fees) so you can host your video files and get access to the best auditions out there. YOU AND 1.3 MILLION OTHER ACTORS USE ACTORS ACCESS. I'm sharing that BIG number so you make it a priority to listen to this episode of Brian Breaks Character. Today's guests are Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services… I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access. And look, you may have heard from them before… but I'm gonna guess that was before ‘the panorama' and before 94% of your auditions were self-tapes. So this is brand-new intel that will actually move the dial on getting more auditions in the new normal. HERE ARE THE TOP 5 INSIDER TAKEAWAYS The latest developments regarding virtual auditions and online casting. The realities of how casting directors receive and review submissions (and why some STAND OUT more than others). How to avoid the most common mistakes actors (and sometimes agents) make when submitting. How to turn your online submissions into AUDITIONS. Strategies to create and maintain strong working relationships with the casting community even online. Brian Wold has over 3 decades of experience in public relations, marketing and business communications. Blair Hickey has been a working actor for almost 30 years (The Big Bang Theory, NCIS: LA, Heroes). Combining their skills and expertise, Blair and Brian created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide for professional actors. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where both continue to work as consultants. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character! If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave an honest review. Your review helps boost the show and gives us the chance to help more creatives get out of suffering for their art and into action. Be sure to leave your IG handle when you do so I can send a VIP episode to say thank you. CONNECT WITH BRIAN & BLAIR Website https://castingabout.com Subscribe To The Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490 Watch The Uncut Behind-The-Scenes Videos Of The Podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca Want More Auditions? www.YourAuditionMagnet.com Follow Me On Instagram For A First-look At Our Guests And Upcoming Episodes! https://www.instagram.com/briansaysthat Episode Transcript: https://brianbreakscharacter.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Ep.83+-+Transcript.docx.pdf
Blair Hickey & Brian Wold: Co-Founders, CastingAbout Blair has been a working actor for almost 30 years, starting with stage and daytime TV work in New York, then continuing in Los Angeles, appearing primarily in television and commercials. Highlighted credits include For All Mankind, Insecure, The Big Bang Theory, NCIS: LA, Heroes, Medium, How I Met Your Mother, Ghost Whisperer, Ally Mcbeal, The Practice, and Chicago Hope. Brian is an internet and website consultant with almost three decades of experience, specializing in public relations, marketing, and business communications. Combining their skills and expertise, Blair and Brian created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide for professional actors. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where both continue to work as managers and industry speakers. This will be a very well spent hour and ten minutes! Follow them: www.castingabout.com https://twitter.com/CastingAbout (@castingabout) Follow me: @HeadshotsByPeggy or @PeggyMcCartha everywhere [Clubhouse @4peggy] Please Follow "Headshots By Peggy PRESENTS" podcast everywhere you listen to your favorite podcast And make sure you are subscribed to www.YouTube.com/headshotsbypeggy
September has been a very busy month in Brian Breaks Character land! We devoted the entire month to helping actors to get more auditions. And we were lucky enough to have some heavy hitters on the show, so we wanna make sure you didn't miss any of the best tips and takeaways! Take a listen to this very special 24 minute megamix from all of our Get More Auditions episodes this month. You'll hear the voices of: Casting Networks' Katie O'Connor and Scott Madej, CastingAbout and Actors Access' Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, and my Actor Happiness Manager, our very own Summer Mastain (she puts ME in the hot seat so you get my take on what you can do TODAY to get more auditions TOMORROW!). TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS Why casting profiles should be a core focus of your acting career All things headshots: How many is too many? How few is not enough? Casting Networks updates and how the update has modernized the platform As I mentioned, these are just some of the juicy takeaways from my September Episodes focused all on getting more auditions and casting profiles… ...but don't think that listening to this gives you the full story – get the full scoop on how to get more auditions by listening to the full episodes here: Casting Networks' Survival Guide with Katie O'Connor & Scott Madej https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casting-networks-survival-guide-with-katie-oconnor/id1570747490?i=1000536259696 Your Casting Profiles in the Age of Social Distancing with Special Host Summer Mastain https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-casting-profiles-in-the-age-of-social/id1570747490?i=1000535401722 Get More Auditions With These CastingAbout & Actors Access Insider Secrets – Part One https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-more-auditions-with-these-castingabout-actors/id1570747490?i=1000534687669 Get More Auditions With These CastingAbout & Actors Access Insider Secrets – Part Two https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-more-auditions-with-these-castingabout-actors/id1570747490?i=1000535004781 Prepare Ye The Way to Get More Auditions with Special Host Summer Mastain https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prepare-ye-the-way-to-get-more-auditions-with-special/id1570747490?i=1000533974205 Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character! If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave an honest review. Your review helps boost the show and gives us the chance to help more creatives get out of suffering for their art and into action. Be sure to leave your IG handle when you do so I can send a VIP episode to say thank you. Subscribe To The Podcast Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2A0QC6RYtcULRMtbsIT3yq?si=xu3QstDpS9WkpoQwHVSueg&nd=1 Watch The Uncut Behind-the-scenes Videos Of The Podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca Want More Auditions? www.YourAuditionMagnet.com Follow Me On Instagram For A First-look At Our Guests And Upcoming Episodes! https://www.instagram.com/briansaysthat Episode Transcript: https://brianbreakscharacter.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Ep.21+-+Megamix+-+Transcript.pdf
If you want to know a verifiable way to get more auditions, grab your notebook for Part Two of my interview with Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services. I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access… and there were just too many juicy takeaways for one episode. In this episode, we dive deeper into how to create and maintain those strong relationships with casting directors – especially now that those relationships are 90% online. HERE ARE THE TOP 3 INSIDER TAKEAWAYS We all know that "booking the room" is more important than booking the job, but B&B tell us exactly how to use this power to turn into repeat success Why you must tell YOUR story while also serving the story of the script – When you don't do this you leave auditions on the table and stay firmly planted in the callback-only zone Yes, technology has changed the way the industry works, but your job stays the same, so don't fall into the trap of distractions Brian Wold has over three decades of experience in public relations, marketing and business communications. Blair Hickey has been a working actor for almost 30 years (The Big Bang Theory, NCIS: LA, Heroes). Combining their skills and expertise, Blair and Brian created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide for professional actors. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where both continue to work as consultants. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character! If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave an honest review. Your review helps boost the show and gives us the chance to help more creatives get out of suffering for their art and into action. Be sure to leave your IG handle when you do so I can send a VIP episode to say thank you. CONNECT WITH BRIAN & BLAIR Website https://castingabout.com Brian brian@castingabout.com Blair blair@castingabout.com Subscribe To The Podcast Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2A0QC6RYtcULRMtbsIT3yq?si=xu3QstDpS9WkpoQwHVSueg&nd=1 Watch The Uncut Behind-The-Scenes Videos Of The Podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca Want More Auditions? Get In On This Free Training: https://www.gimmegimmemoreauditions.com/ Follow Me On Instagram For A First-look At Our Guests And Upcoming Episodes! https://www.instagram.com/briansaysthat Episode Transcript: https://brianbreakscharacter.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Bonus+Ep.+Brian+Wold+%26+Blair+Hickey+-+Transcript.pdf
I'm gonna guess you have an Actors Access/Breakdown Express profile so Casting Directors can find you. And even though the site has *some* free functionality, I'm also gonna guess that you plunk down $68/year (plus any other fees) so you can host your video files and get access to the best auditions out there. YOU AND 1.3 MILLION OTHER ACTORS USE ACTORS ACCESS. I'm sharing that BIG number so you make it a priority to listen to this episode of Brian Breaks Character. Today's guests are Blair Hickey and Brian Wold, the Co-Founders of CastingAbout and Consultants for Breakdown Services… I locked them in a Zoom room and forced them to tell me ALLLLLL THE INSIDER SECRETS of how actors can make themselves unforgettable on Actors Access. And look, you may have heard from them before… but I'm gonna guess that was before ‘the panorama' and before 94% of your auditions were self-tapes. So this is brand-new intel that will actually move the dial on getting more auditions in the new normal. HERE ARE THE TOP 5 INSIDER TAKEAWAYS The latest developments regarding virtual auditions and online casting. The realities of how casting directors receive and review submissions (and why some STAND OUT more than others). How to avoid the most common mistakes actors (and sometimes agents) make when submitting. How to turn your online submissions into AUDITIONS. Strategies to create and maintain strong working relationships with the casting community even online. Brian Wold has over 3 decades of experience in public relations, marketing and business communications. Blair Hickey has been a working actor for almost 30 years (The Big Bang Theory, NCIS: LA, Heroes). Combining their skills and expertise, Blair and Brian created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide for professional actors. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where both continue to work as consultants. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Brian Breaks Character! If you loved this episode, please subscribe and leave an honest review. Your review helps boost the show and gives us the chance to help more creatives get out of suffering for their art and into action. Be sure to leave your IG handle when you do so I can send a VIP episode to say thank you. CONNECT WITH BRIAN & BLAIR Website https://castingabout.com Subscribe To The Podcast Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-breaks-character/id1570747490 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2A0QC6RYtcULRMtbsIT3yq?si=xu3QstDpS9WkpoQwHVSueg&nd=1 Watch The Uncut Behind-The-Scenes Videos Of The Podcast On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/brianpatacca Want More Auditions? Get In On This Free Training: https://www.gimmegimmemoreauditions.com/ Follow Me On Instagram For A First-look At Our Guests And Upcoming Episodes! https://www.instagram.com/briansaysthat Episode Transcript: https://brianbreakscharacter.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Ep.18+Brian+Wold+%26+Blair+Hickey+-+Transcript.pdf
Isn't it great when you find those people you truly love working with? Join us as we talk with veteran actor and founder of Casting About, Blair Hickey, as we discuss what casting directors really want, how to find your actor's type, what it means to be a unique storyteller and more! If you are feeling a little dis-empowered, like you're just waiting to be "picked" then this episode will shift how you look at your career, casting, collaboration and help you discover: what kind of storyteller are you?Find out more about Performers & Creators Lab >>Blair Hickey has been a working actor for over twenty years. He graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts from Brown University, started his career in New York working on stage and with recurring roles on daytime soaps. Since moving to Los Angeles, Blair’s worked primarily in television, appearing in such shows as NCIS:LA, TOUCH, HARRY'S LAW, HEROES, MEDIUM, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, GHOST WHISPERER, ALLY MCBEAL, THE PRACTICE and CHICAGO HOPE. In 2004, Blair co-created CastingAbout, the online casting and production guide. In 2009, CastingAbout was acquired by Breakdown Services, where Blair continues to serve as a developer and consultant. Blair is also a proud husband, a daddy of two beautiful girls, and a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Learn more at http://www.castingabout.comHolly Shaw, CHT is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian. Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece which has become an Amazon bestseller. In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely
We are celebrating dads who are artists with this special episode featuring five dads who bust the myth that you can’t be a great artist and a devoted father at the same time. What was really endearing to me about creating this episode was getting to connect with these dads who are really there for their families and also pursuing artistic careers. In this episode we talk to a dancer/graphic designer, Damien Alvarez, actor/entrepreneur, Blair Hickey, painter, Dionisio Ceballos, musician, Aaron Skiles, and filmmaker, Tony Gapastione about the pressures of being the provider of the family, the ways in which they’ve managed to make their auditions, and make time for songwriting, and how being a father has changed them. Find bonus videos of these adorable dads in the Interviews with Artists Video Library.Find out more about the Performers & Creators LabAbout Your Host, Holly ShawHolly Shaw, CHT is a performance coach, creativity researcher and stand up comedian. Growing up in Indianapolis, IN she convinced her parents she needed to go to Chicago to get her own agent when she was 14 years old and has spent a lifetime in film, T.V. and on professional stages all over the world as an actor, dancer, and director.Now she shares her passion for the problems that artists face as a Creativity Coach and a Certified Hypnotherapist and has helped hundreds of artists, from Emmy award winning and Grammy nominated artists to world class choreographers overcome their anxiety, stage fright, impostor syndrome, and creative blocks so that they can create original work and totally kill it onstage again and again without feeling like they're selling out or losing their sanity.In 2016, Shaw wrote and released her book, The Creative Formula: Compose, Choreograph, and Capture Your Masterpiece which has become an Amazon bestseller. In 2018 she launched the Performers & Creators Lab podcast which was named one of 2019's most outstanding podcasts by Databird Research. She teaches regularly at the SAG/AFTRA offices in L.A. and SF and runs creative laboratory workshops like the Comedy Lab Open Mic once a month at Monaghan's on the Hill in Oakland. Follow her on Instagram @hollyshawspritely
(From the Best of State of the Arts - Original Air Date: January 24, 2011) Sterling and Stroili talk high and low tech about computers and the internet. Top TV producer/writer Maxine Lapiduss (Roseanne, Home Improvement, Foxworthy, Ellen, Dharma & Greg) is interviewed about her love of singing and stand-up comedy, and her return to performing. The Live Arts Calendar features the hysterical and stirring adventure Cyrano at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. and Traces, an acrobatic spectacle of circus, physical theatre, music and dance at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. Sterling reviews Louis Van Amstel's Ballroom with a Twist at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Successful television actor Blair Hickey discusses his entrepreneurial skills as the co-founder of CastingAbout.com, and gives proactive advice to actors about how to promote themselves during TV "pilot" season. Lapiduss and Hickey their reveal worst career experiences.
(From the Best of State of the Arts - Original Air Date: January 24, 2011) Sterling and Stroili talk high and low tech about computers and the internet. Top TV producer/writer Maxine Lapiduss (Roseanne, Home Improvement, Foxworthy, Ellen, Dharma & Greg) is interviewed about her love of singing and stand-up comedy, and her return to performing. The Live Arts Calendar features the hysterical and stirring adventure Cyrano at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. and Traces, an acrobatic spectacle of circus, physical theatre, music and dance at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. Sterling reviews Louis Van Amstel's Ballroom with a Twist at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Successful television actor Blair Hickey discusses his entrepreneurial skills as the co-founder of CastingAbout.com, and gives proactive advice to actors about how to promote themselves during TV "pilot" season. Lapiduss and Hickey their reveal worst career experiences.
Sterling and Stroili talk high and low tech about computers and the internet. Top TV producer/writer Maxine Lapiduss (Roseanne, Home Improvement, Foxworthy, Ellen, Dharma & Greg) is interviewed about her love of singing and stand-up comedy, and her return to performing. The Live Arts Calendar features the hysterical and stirring adventure Cyrano at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica, CA. and Traces, an acrobatic spectacle of circus, physical theatre, music and dance at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. Sterling reviews Louis Van Amstel???s Ballroom with a Twist at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Successful television actor Blair Hickey discusses his entrepreneurial skills as the co-founder of CastingAbout.com, and gives proactive advice to actors about how to promote themselves during TV “pilot??? season. Lapiduss and Hickey their reveal worst career experiences. Sponsored by Breakdown Services (http://www.breakdownexpress.com/)